Government and business in exchange about tomorrow’s work
The exchange between the Zurich government and business, associations and science, which is organized by the Department of Economics and Labor of the Department of Economics, has a long tradition. This year the location dialogue will take place at Swiss Re. The 130 or so participants dealt with the extent to which the new working worlds with more home offices and the demand for more flexible work affect companies, executives and the canton of Zurich as a business location.
In her welcoming address, Economics Director Carmen Walker Späh emphasized that the new forms of work not only bring opportunities and challenges for employers, but also for legislators, employers ‘and workers’ associations and the administration. “The corona pandemic has accelerated changes in the world of work. Home office and flexible work are no longer used only occasionally. We must carefully accompany this accelerated change and design the framework conditions accordingly, ”emphasized the government councilor.
In an interview, host Dr. Guido Fürer, Swiss Re CIO and Country President Switzerland, on how Swiss Re in Zurich is reacting to the changing world of work. The world of work remains hybrid, which is why the physical workplaces must also be digital and networked and the planning of new workplaces must remain flexible and open to various options. Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch, Professor of Leadership at the University of St. Gallen, explained in her keynote speech “New forms of work and leadership, between flexibility and longing for a home base” that companies run the risk of being overwhelmed by the world of work because culture and leadership are too important come briefly. One consequence of this could be that this would be more conservative after the crisis than before. “Companies need fewer hierarchies, commands and control, but more leadership, future images and executives who can lead differently depending on the context,” emphasized Heike Bruch. A real new work and leadership transformation is urgently needed, without alternative and possible.